Laminated padlock



Dec. 13, 1955 N. J. VILE 2,726,531

LAMINATED PADLOCK Filed y 8, 1952 INVENTOR. NORMHN J I/ United StatesPatent LAMINATED PADLOCK Norman J. Vile, New Britain, Conm, assignor toThe Eagle Lock Company, Terryville, Conn., a corporation of ConnecticutApplication May 8, 1952, Serial No. 286,730

Claims. (Cl. 70-38) This invention relates to a laminated padlock andmore particularly to padlocks in which a locking unit is containedwithin a lock body that is formed of a series of laminations.

An object of this invention is to provide a novel construction for apadlock which may be economically produced and is highly efiicient inits operation.

A further object of the invention is the provision of such a padlockhaving novel means for retaining the locking unit in position andcompensating for any variations that may occur due to the laminatedconstruction.

A still further object of this invention is to provide, for such a lock,novel means for retaining the key plug of the locking unit and theshackle bolt of the lock in assembled position.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will be more clearlyunderstood from the following description in which:

Fig. l is a side view, partially in central vertical section, showing alock embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional edge view on line 22 of Fig. l with the lockingunit being shown in elevation.

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of said lock partly in section on line 33 ofFig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional bottom view on line 44 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a similar view on line 55 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a side view of the locking unit.

Fig. 7 is a bottom view thereof.

In the embodiment of my invention which is illustrated in the drawings,the numeral 5 denotes the body of my improved padlock which isconstructed of a plurality of laminations having openings in the centralportions thereof to receive the mechanism of the padlock. Thelaminations are secured together into an integral unit by suitablemeans, such as rivets 6, which extend longitudinally through the bodyadjacent the corners thereof.

The openings in the said laminations conform to the shape of themechanism which is to be contained within the portions of the lock bodyand the said openings provide an elongated hole 7 which receives thelong leg 8 of a shackle 9. The openings in the laminations which formthe upper portion of the lock body have extensions 10 which provide ahole 11 to receive the short leg 12 of said shackle.

A locking unit 13 is contained within the body 5 and generally comprisesa casing 13-a in which there is rotatably mounted a key plug 14 having alug 15 projecting therefrom which operates a bolt 16 against the tensionof a spring 17; the said bolt and spring being contained within thecasing 13-01 as a part of a locking unit.

In order to rotatably retain the key plug 14 within the casing 13-11 andalso slidably retain the shackle 9 assembled to the body 5, I provide aretaining pin 18 which is contained within an opening in the casing 13aand projects into an annular groove 19 adjacent the upper end of the keyplug 14. The said retaining pin has a head 20 which projects into anotch 21 in the side of the long leg 8 of the shackle and said notchcommunicates with an annular groove 22 adjacent the end of said longleg. A spring 23 is provided for urging the shackle into open positionand, when in said position, the head 20 of the retaining pin 18 will bein. register with the groove 22 and thereby permit. rotation of theshackle in the body of the lock while still retaining it therein.

It will be noted that the bottom lamination, in the form of a plate 24,closes the cavity in the lock body which receives the casing 13a and thesaid plate has therein a circular opening 25 through which the head 26of the key plug extends.

In order to compensate for any variations in the length of the lock bodywhich may occur due to slight differences in the thickness of thevarious laminations, I provide, next to the bottom plate 24, a springplate 2 7 that conforms in its outside contour with the other plates ofthe lock body and has an opening 28 therein which receives a portion ofthe lock casing. The said opening has an extension 29 into which extendsa spring tongue 30 that is integral with the said plate 27.

The spring tongue 30 is bent upwardly and engages the bottom of the lockcasing so as to resiliently urge the lock unit against the top of thelock cavity to thereby securely retain it in its proper position andprevent movement of the lock unit relatively to the body of the padlock.

It will be seen that the extension 29 of the opening in the spring plateprovides a pocket or cavity to contain the spring tongue 30 within thelock body.

In assembling my improved padlock, after the lock unit and the shackleare in cooperative position within the partly assembled body, the springplate is placed in position with the tongue 30 resting against the endof the lock unit. The end plate 24 is then pushed against the springplate, so that the said tongue will force the lock unit into positionagainst the top of the cavity in the body, and the rivets 6 are thenheaded over so that the entire padlock will be secured into a completedunit.

It will be understood from the above description that my inventionprovides novel and improved means for securing the shackle and bolt inposition and also for retaining the locking unit in proper position,irrespective of any variations that may occur in the dimensions of theassembled lock body, and thereby allow for any commercial tolerancesthat may be required in the thickness of the sheet material for the bodyplates.

I claim:

1. In a laminated lock construction comprising a body formed of aplurality of laminations secured together and having a cavity thereincontaining a locking unit; a spring member contained between two of thesaid laminations and urging said unit into position against the top ofthe cavity.

2. In a lock comprising a body constructed of a plurality of laminationsand having a cavity therein and a locking unit contained within saidcavity; a spring plate included as one of the laminations in said body,and a resilient portion in said spring plate engaging said locking unitand retaining it in position within said cavity.

3. In a laminated lock construction comprising a plurality oflaminations forming the body of said lock, the said body including a topand a bottom lamination and having a cavity therebetween and a lockingunit contained within said cavity; a spring member between the saidbottom lamination and the lock unit supporting the said lock unit incontact with the inner surface of the top lamination.

4. In a laminated padlock comprising a body formed of a plurality oflaminations and having a cavity therein and a lock unit contained withinsaid cavity; a spring plate conforming with the exterior contour of saidlaminations and included therewith in said body, the said spring platehaving an opening therein forming a portion of the cavity in the body, aresilient tongue extending into said opening I and retaining the lockunit in operative position against the top of the cavity, a bottom platepositioned against said spring plate and covering said cavity, and meanssecuring all of said laminations, spring plate, and bottom platetogether to form said body.

5. In a laminated lock construction comprising a body formed of a seriesof laminations secured together, the said body having a cavity therein,a locking unit contained within said cavity and a shackle slidable insaid body; a spring member between the locking unit and the bottomlamination of said body for retaining the unit in position within saidcavity and for compensating for variations in the length of said body,and a projection on said locking unit for retaining the shackle in thebody.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,094,604 Keil Oct. 5, 1937 2,282,983 Lach May 12, 1942 2,409,424 FalkOct. 15, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS 929,293 France Dec. 22, 1947

